1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to boat docks and slips. More particularly, the invention relates to devices which are attached to or fabricated as part of a dock, to guide boats smoothly into slips with a minimum of effort and damage.
Watercraft of various types are often stored on the water, moored in a slip with docks in front of and to each side of the boat. This is particularly true of large boats, including houseboats, cabin cruisers, pontoon boats and other marine vessels, which have size sufficient to make floating storage easier than repeatedly launching and removing them from the water. Docking of smaller boats and personal watercraft is also common, although not always for extended storage; Docking of any watercraft may be for only a short period of time, to facilitate refueling or obtaining supplies, or loading and unloading passengers or cargo. In any case, docking of watercraft is a difficult procedure.
Often, the boat to be stored must be maneuvered in close quarters, in windy conditions or rough water. To further complicate the docking operation, the opening or slip, which the boat will occupy is only minimally larger than the boat, which it will receive. Additionally, most boats, which are docked or stored on the water, are large in terms of both volume and mass, so their ability to navigate in nimble fashion as required in such circumstances is severely inhibited, even when guided by extremely skilled drivers. Even small boats with relatively small mass are difficult to navigate in close quarters at low speeds because precise turning is most effective when the drive mechanism is engaged.
The difficulty of guiding a boat into a slip under such conditions often leads to mishaps, most often including damage to the docks which form the slip and to the boat itself. Such occurrences are very costly to repair, particularly due to the fact that the docks are most often floating well away from shore, and slips or components are not easily detached for repair work. Boats of significant size to which such occurrences are likely are also very costly to repair, and it is quite inconvenient to remove them from the water and have them transported to an appropriate location for repair.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to the difficult nature of smoothly guiding a boat into a docking slip, many.efforts to improve the process have been tried with varied results.
For general background material concerning this invention, the reader is referred to the following U.S. Patents, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material contained therein. This reference to these patents is not intended as an admission of andquot;prior artandquot; by the applicant, but is intended only as a reference to related information.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,946 discloses a boat fender which receives the thrust of a boat during berthing, or while the boat is tied to the dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,639 discloses a multiple boat anchorage, which allows docking of multiple boats about one buoy for saving space.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,517 discloses a dock attachment, which both yields and rotates to yieldably guide a boat into position, protecting the boat and the dock from impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,685 discloses a shock absorbing bumper for boats and docks having elongate bumpers which are supported by torque rods, and which swing in an arc when engaged by a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,925 discloses a boat trailer having wings, which guide the boat convergently between longitudinal rails during high wind or wave conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,702 discloses a boat dock slip having a series of guards, which extend at various points from the dock into the slip to guide and steady the boat relative to the dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,189 discloses a boat guide for use in or along slips, which utilize elongated upright tubular members, each about an axle, for absorbing the shock of a boat.
The present invention is a boat slip guide. In the preferred embodiment, the guides will be fabricated and attached to an existing dock. In other embodiments, guides may actually be manufactured as part of the dock. Generally, guides will be attached to docks on both sides of a slip, which direct the boat gently into the slip where the boat will be temporarily or permanently stored.
The guide or guides, when attached to, or manufactured as part of a dock, provide significant advantages in guiding watercraft smoothly into their mooring slips.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a boat slip guide which guides the boat or marine vessel smoothly into the slip, even during inclement weather or other difficult docking conditions.
It is also an object of the invention to absorb energy when the guide and boat come into contact, to prevent damage to the guide, the boat, and the dock.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a boat slip guide which has a surface that extends at an angle beyond the end of the dock to guide the boat into the slip and absorb the energy of any impact which occurs as the boat is directed into the slip.
It is another object of the invention to provide a boat slip guide, which requires minimal effort beyond the normal guidance of the watercraft to cause it to enter the slip gently and completely.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a boat slip guide, which eases the difficulty of guiding a boat or marine vessel into a dock opening or slip during heavy winds or waves which frequently occur in a marine environment.